Sunday, July 5, 2015

The Love Revolution: Dare to Love...?

                                                                                                                                                       
I need your help (YES that means YOU) because love can’t stay silent…
Lately there has been a lot of talk about “Love”.  What is Love?  Everywhere we turn there is something about “Love Wins” but is it really love or something else?

Regardless of your status, race or the economics, everyone values love and recognizes that it is love that shapes what is true and good. The term “Love” has always been used so broadly to describe an emotional attraction between two or more people. But the truth of the matter is that there are three kinds of love in the Bible and this includes Eros, Agape and Philos. So if you really want to learn how you can follow Jesus’s command to always love one another please read on.

EROS LOVE
Eros is a Greek term which actually means desire and longing. And according to the Greek methodology, Eros is the name of the Greek god of love. Also referred to as erotic love, this is a selfish kind of love as it associated with sexual love. Eros love is based on the strong feeling we have against one another and it usually develops during the 1st stage of a romantic relationship. This kind of love is based on the physical traits. And unless it is redeemed by the Lord’s presence; this type of love can end up being possessive, since it always seeks to 1st conquer and then control.

God created physical attraction between a man and a woman, but He never intended for it to be selfish. He created desire and longing which makes up sexual love which is crucial in any marriage. This love was meant to be preserved between a couple and it is essential for any healthy marriage. And since it is mostly based on self-benefit, many people tend to fall out of love if they are not happy with the marriage.

PHILOS LOVE
This is a unique kind of love like the one you have for a companion or pal. It refers to loving one another just like your brother or sister. This love is for a pal who is really close and dear to us and it is characterized by various different shared experiences between two people. In fact this is the kind of love that many Christians tend to practice towards one another. And although philos love is really wonderful, it is not always reliable, since it can end up souring at times as we have all experienced at some point in our lives.

AGAPE LOVE
This is a special term which represents the divine-love of the Lord towards his Son Jesus Christ, and us. This is the best of the three types of love in the bible, in fact Jesus himself showed this type of divine love to his Father and humanity. Agape love is the love that God commanded all believers to have for everyone whether he/she is a believer or not. Agape love should never be determined by our feelings; it is more of a set of behaviors or actions. 

Agape love is above philos love and eros love. It is a love that is totally selfless, where a person gives out love to another person even if this act does not benefit her/him in any way. Whether the love given is returned or not, the person continues to love (even without any self-benefit).

Agape Love… That is true love and the love I want to dwell on. The love I want you and me to share. Loving others more than ourselves. A sacrificial and unconditional love… beautiful!

This week begins my Love Revolution. I’ve been aching to do this for some time, but I can’t do this alone. Every week I'll have a new challenge, some will be harder than others, but all will be on love (Agape or Philos). I’m going to call them a Love/Dare and I hope you are daring enough to join in. Not sure how long this will last, but I hope to do it all Summer long...

First Love/Dare Challenge: Be a smile to those around you...
Reach out to someone who seems alone this week. Someone that you have noticed, but don’t really know. Befriend them! You might be surprise at what you find. It could be your neighbor. It could be a coworker. It could be a classmate. It could even be the lady who rings your items up at the grocery store. Reach out. Too many of us feel lonely. A simple, “Hello, how have you been?” means a lot!

I don’t know why, but I’ve been struggling with an overwhelming feeling of suicide (NOT me personally) but perhaps someone near me… maybe even a stranger? I’ve been running into odd things and I don’t really know what to think clearly on it all. It’s really been bothering me!

So, if there is someone out there that’s feeling really down, I want you to know that there is hope… real beautiful hope. And if you are someone close, I’m here if you need to talk. You are noticed and dearly loved!



(((If you accept this challenge, feel free to share your story in the comments, and be sure to come back next Monday for another Love/Dare Challenge.)))

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